After praying the midday Angelus on this first day of the month of the Rosary in 2023, and the feast day of St. Thérèse, Pope Francis recommended the intercession of these two powerful women.
October is traditionally dedicated both to the Rosary and to the missions, as the Holy Father noted.
"I urge everyone to experience the beauty of praying the Rosary, contemplating the mysteries of Christ with Mary and invoking her intercession for the needs of the Church and of the world," he said.
In particular, he recommended praying for
peace in battered Ukraine and in all those lands wounded by war
the evangelization of peoples, and
the Synod of Bishops during this month in which the first Assembly on the theme of synodality in the Church takes place.
Favorite saint
Then the Pope noted the feast of his "favorite," St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the Little Flower.
He referred to her as "the saint of confidence, the saint of confidence in ourselves."
The Holy Father recalled that on the feast of her namesake, St. Teresa of Avila, on October 15, his apostolic exhortation on the Little Flower will be published.
"Let us pray to Saint Thérèse and to Our Lady: May Saint Thérèse help us have confidence and to work for the missions."
Update:
As the Pope promised, his document on Thérèse was published just two weeks later.
Here is a quick look at what he wrote.
See more about the Pope's love for the Little Flower and Our Lady, below:
